The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) responded to President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes in women’s sports, prompting the revision of its policies to align with the executive order.
“The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that collectively enroll more than 530,000 student-athletes,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement. “We strongly believe that clear, consistent and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.”
Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” aiming to prohibit transgender women from participating in female athletic programs.
Following the executive order, the NCAA announced a significant change to its transgender athlete participation policy on Feb. 6. The updated policy restricts competition in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth, effectively outlawing transgender women from participating in NCAA women’s competitions.
Under the new policy, student-athletes assigned male at birth are prohibited from competing on NCAA women’s teams. However, they may continue practicing with women’s teams and receive other applicable benefits.
Contrarily, student-athletes assigned female at birth who have begun hormone therapy are prohibited from competing on women’s teams but may also continue practicing and receiving benefits.
The policy allows all student-athletes to participate in men’s sports, provided they meet other NCAA eligibility requirements.
By aligning with the executive order, the NCAA aims to prevent the potential loss of federal funding for its member institutions.
Conversely, critics contend that the policy is discriminatory and undermines the rights of transgender athletes. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups argue that such measures lack scientific support and perpetuate harm against transgender individuals. They emphasize the importance of inclusivity and the recognition of gender identity in sports participation.
“The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in the coming days, subject to further guidance from the administration,” Baker said. “The Association will continue to help foster welcoming environments on campuses for all student-athletes. We stand ready to assist schools as they look for ways to support any student-athletes affected by changes in the policy.”
The executive order and the NCAA’s subsequent policy change are expected to face legal challenges.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more sports, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
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